Respiratory therapy is part of the booming healthcare industry, which, as of 2012, was responsible for 18 percent of the total U.S. gross national product, according to a Georgetown University, Center on Education and the Workforce report. What’s more, the Center estimates that because of the increasing demand for healthcare services, the demand for healthcare workers is expected to grow twice as fast as for other industries.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports, an average yearly salary for a respiratory therapist is as follows: Less than one year of work experience earns from $29,087 – $55,652 per year; one to four years receives from $24,850 – $59,507 per year; five to nine years receives from $35,802 – $70,472 per year; 10 to 19 years earns from $30,161 – $71,247 per year; 20+ years of experience receives from $44,557 – $71,011 per year. The highest paid in the respiratory therapist profession work in the metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Santa Cruz, California, and Sacramento, California. The Vallejo, California area also pays well, as does the city of San Jose, California. Other well paying areas are Hawaii $66,890; Connecticut $73,670; Nevada $67,270; New Jersey $71,610; and New York, $69,730.

According to the BLS, an average hourly wage and yearly salary earned by the lowest 10th percentile of respiratory therapists is around $19.55 per hour, or $40,660 per year, whereas those in the 90th percentile received $35.77 per hour or $74,400 per year. Respiratory therapists’ employed in colleges, universities, and professional schools earned a higher annual salary ($67,060) when compared to those employed in rental consumer goods ($40,660).

Salary Satisfaction

3.4

SCORE

49

RATINGS

Respiratory Therapists average a score of 3.4 out of 5 on our salary satisfaction scale. This places Respiratory Therapists in the 87th percentile of salary satisfaction.